Discharge-door of hopper dredgers and barges.



F. LOBNITZ. DISGHARGE Doon 0F HOPPER DREDGBRS AND BABGES.

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1J l DE wu 4 nu APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 29, 1906.

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` I. LoBNITz. DISCHABrE DOOR 0F HOPPERDREDGERS AND BARGES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29, 1906. A 905,338. Patented Dec. 1. 1908.y

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2. I

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F. LOBNITZ. DISCHARGE DOOR OF HOPPER DREDGRS .ANDy BARGBS.

9 338. APPLICATION Hm? JUNE 29', 190s. Patented Dec. L 1908A SHEETS-SHEET 3.

l P.. LoB'NITz. DISUHARGE DOOR 0F HOPPBE DREDGEBS AND BARGES. s

I APPLICATION FILED JUN 29. 1906'.- Patentedibec. 1

4 vSHEETS-SHEET 4.

' FRED toBNrrZ, lor RENFREW, sooTLAND.

DISCHARGE-Doon or yKornelianminGERs AND BARGES.

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I speciaatien ofv Letters raient.

Patented Dee. 1, 190e'.

Application ledJune 29, 1906. Serial No'..324,049.

To aZZ whom t may concern: 1 1

Be it known that I, FRED LoNrrz, of

Clarence House, Renfrew, Scotland, engi-` neer and shipbuilder, a subject of the King of Great Britain, have invented certain new and useful Improvements Relating to the Discharge-Doors of Hopper .Dredgers and Barges, of which the following is a'specification.

This invention relates to hopper dredgers and barges and it has for its object to provide improved mechanism or gear for manipulating the discharge doors thereof.

It is very important to be able to raise and lower the discharge doors simultaneously with the minimum expenditure of time and trouble and it is equally desirable that when the doors are closed they should be held fast without continuous strain being put on the manipulating mechanism.

My invention is designedtoeffect this ob-` 2f* is asectional plan thereof.

On the drawings the same reference letterswherever repeated indicate the same or similar parts. Y

When carrying out myinvention in accordance with the arrangement shown at Figs. 1 to la, I connect the hopperdoors a by means of chains Z) to cross bars c which are connected to chains e passing over pulleys f. Each chain e is connected to a cross piece g and these pieces are fitted rigidly to and ,between horizontal bars It, h1, adapted to slide in guides on the upper surface z' of the hopper girder y'. The bars h, h1, are, at their front ends, connected together and to the block le (these parts are also clearly indicated at Figs. l `and 2a) which latterhas a screw Zwhose outer end is inclosed in a tubular casing m. On the screw is fitted an elongated nut Z1 having external collars Z2 working in rooves in a thrust block Z3 which latter is rigidly connected to the pedestal Z4.

Keyed on the nut Z1 is a worm wheel n which is revolved by a worm n1 Figs. 1 and la, on a shaft o driven by the gear o1 from the engine shaft p of the maneuvering winch of the barge or dredger. The engine shaftp drives the winch drum shaft p0 by the gear p1. A

p2 is a lever for operating a sliding clutch p3 on the shaft p for the purpose of throwing gear p1 out or in as desired.

The maneuvering -winch is of the usual construction with the exception that its engine is, as aforestated, adapted to also rotate the "worm wheel n and thereby raise and lower the hopper doors. As the worm wheel and nut Z1 are held in .position it follows that when the-latter is revolved, one way or the other, it, of course, works the screw Z backwards or forwards and thereby operates the harsh, h1 and chains e, Z), so as to open or Vcle'se all the hopper doors a simultaneA ouslyi When the doors are closed, the block c, and consequently'the bars h, h1, is held in position by a single wedge or pin g which is driven through the holes g1 in the housing r1 and ahole in the block. With this arrangement the advantage is that there is but a single wedge for holding all the doors and that the'winch engine, and this wedge, can be attended to by one man on the spot.

It will be seen that the usual lifting chains b are Icarried up through hollow or tubular trunks b1, suitably secured in the hopper.

The fact that the several doors are hung by chains attached at each end thereof and that these chains are carried up in trunks is a `decided advantage especially when discharging roc'k and other materials which tend to bridge, because, when the doors are let go, they are sure to drop as the chains work throughv the tubular trunks without coming in contact with the spoil in the hopper.

Having now fully described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In hopper dredges and barges having discharge doors, the combination with the said doors, of means for raising and lowering all of them simultaneously, and a sin 'le pin adapted to simultaneously lock all t e said doors when in the raised position.

2.'In vhopper dredges and barges having discharge doors, the combination with the said doors, of mechanical means for raising and lowering all lof them simultaneously, and a single pin adapted to simultaneously lock all the said doors when in the raised position.

3. In hopper' dredgers and barges having discharge doors, thefcombination with the doors thereof, of movable bars, means connecting the bars to the doors, a block 'with a slot therein, means for moving. the block, and a wedge which can the block so as to simultaneously h old all the doors fast.

4. In hopper dredgers and barges having discharge doors, the combination with the doors thereof, of slide bars, means connecting the doors to the slide bars, guides for the bars, a block, a guide for the block, means for operating the block and a wedge for simultaneously holding the block and all the doors fast.

5. In hopper dredgers and barges having discharge doors, the combination with the doors thereof, of slide bars, means connecting the doors to the slide bars, guides for the bars, a block, a guide for the block, screw and nut gear for operating the block and a wedge for simultaneously holding the, block and all the doors fast.

6 Ln hopper dredgers and barges having discharge doors, the combination with the doors thereof, of slide bars, meansconnecting the doors to the slide bars, a block connected to the slide hars and having a slot therein, a wedge for locking all of the doors simultaneously, a screw connected to the block, andV mechanism for operating the screw.

7. In hopper dredgers and barges having discharge doors, the combination with the doors thereof, of slide bars, means connecting the doors to the slide bars, a block connected to the slide bars, a housing for the block, a thrust block, a wedge for locking all of` the doors simultaneously, a screw connected to the block and passing through the thrust block, and means for operating the screw.

8. In hopper dredgers and barges having discharge doors, the combination with the doors thereof of slide bars, guides for the be driven through.

slide bars, means connecting the doors to the slide bars, a block connected to the slide-bars and having a hole therein, a housing for thc block, said housing having holes at each side thereof, a wedge capable of being passed through the holes in the housing and the block, a thrust block, a screw connected to the first mentioned block, an elongated nul on the screw and within the thrust block, a worm wheel on the nut and means for rotating the worm wheel.

9. In hopper dredgers and barges, the combination with the doors thereof of slide bars, guides for the slide bars, chains connecting the doors to the slide bars, trunks for the chains, a block connected to the slide bars and having a hole therein, a housing for the block, said housing having holes at each side thereof, a wedge capable of being passed through the holes in the housing and the block, a thrust block, a screw connected to the first mentioned block, an elongated nut on the screw, and within the thrust block, a worm wheel on the nut and means for rota ting the worm wheel.

l0. In hopper dredges, the combination with eachdoor thereof, of means arranged at each side of the door for raising and lowering the same, means for operating the said raising and lowering means, and a wedge adapted to lock the same in raised position and to lock all of the doors simultaneously.

l1. In hopper dredges and barges, a plurality of doors, means for raising and lowering said doors, and a pin cooperating with said means for simultaneously locking all the doors.

12. In hopper dredges and barges, a plurality of doors, means for raising and lowering said doors, and a wedge-shaped pin eooperating with said means for simultaneously locking all the doors.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signatur(l in presence of two witnesses.

FRED LOBNITZ. 

